2011 NFL Playoffs Predictor

I believe it was William Shakespeare, or perhaps Howie Long, who once said that the NFL giveth, and the NFL taketh away. Just look at the Pittsburgh Steelers: A mere week after being the toast of the conference, they suffer the cruel fate of heartbreak at the hands of Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens. There's no time for tears, though -- the roller coaster of ecstasy and agony is what makes the NFL so compelling. In just one week's time, situations change dramatically.

In this week's addition of the Playoff Predictor, powered by numberFire, we say hello to the San Diego Chargers, bid farewell to the Buffalo Bills and prepare ourselves for an inevitable onslaught of venom from New York Jets fans.

And remember, this isn't about where teams are or were, it's about where they'll be. The algorithms factor in everything from weather to injuries to overall trends. Of course, all of this is still highly volatile, due to the fact we're just now halfway through the season; still, the model can get us close. Check back each week as the numbers continue to paint a clearer bracket portrait.

To see the projected 2011 NFL playoff bracket -- and to find out which teams won't make the playoffs -- you must be an ESPN Insider.

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